Week 22: Handfasting with Children

Welcome to week 22 of our "52 traditions/rituals in 52 weeks".

Some time ago we brought you a version of a 'handfasting' (view here) which has been very popular on the blog, so we thought we would follow it up with a fabulous way of including children in this wonderfully meaningful ritual.

Including children in a handfasting:

Celebrant: 'When we think about marriage we immediately visualize the joining of two people. But this is not always so. Marriages unite families and as is the case in many families today, who already have children, they give us a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and embrace some of the other important relationships in our lives.

During a wedding ceremony rings are sometimes exchanged with a promise. As (Bride) and (Groom) are not exchanging rings, but instead binding their hands, they thought appropriate that their children should also take part as a reminder of their promise to them on this day.

They wanted to find a way to let them know now how special and wonderful they are, and how privileged and blessed they feel to be their parents'.

Children step forward and their hands are bound with the parents

Celebrant addresses children:

'(Insert children’s names): These are the hands that will support encourage and protect you through all of life’s ups and downs, happy times, sad times, love and we hope, great joy. This binding is a reminder of the love and respect that each of you have for the others and that which will last for a lifetime'.

The Wedding Gurus x

Week 12 - Libation Ceremony

Welcome to week 12 in our ’52 Rituals/Traditions in 52 Weeks’

This week we have decided to look at ‘libation’ in ceremony and how you can use it to create an interesting and heart felt ceremony.

Some traditions or rituals are not unique to just one culture and are in fact practised in many cultures throughout the world. These rituals are often similar in nature, but may have different relevance or meaning depending on who is practising them. This is certainly true for libation rituals.

The libation ritual is a traditional part of ceremony practised by the Greeks, Romans, Africans and Burmese Buddhists to name only a few. The term ‘libation’ actually means ‘the pouring of a liquid offering as a religious ritual’ and this liquid may be any number of things, again dependant upon who is performing it.

In some African cultures, an essential part of any ceremony is the pouring of libation. Sometimes water, but most often a traditional wine is used for the pouring which it is believed shows recognition and thanks to their ancestors and the Gods. A prayer calling all to attend and participate is given by an elder who through this tradition invokes both ancestors and Gods to be present.

The Ancient Romans were also big believers in the use of libation rituals in ceremony, usually consisting of wine and perfumed oil, it was considered an act of great worship.

These days we still see libation rituals used in ceremony and also in showing recognition to those no longer with us. If you live in the United States you may have heard of the term ‘tipping a forty to their memory’ which involves tipping a small amount of liquid (usually liquor) from the glass before drinking, paying respect to and in memory of those no longer with us.

If you are looking for a simple, easy ritual to use in your wedding ceremony that doesn’t cost anything and allows you to word it specifically to recognise something, then a libation ritual is a fabulous idea.

You could ask the head of either of your families,-a grandmother or grandfather, the celebrant or anyone you wish - to lead the ritual and say a few words as to the sentiment of the ritual.

An example of this may be where a loved one has passed away or unable to be present and you are looking for a way to acknowledge those unable to be with you. A libation is a simple, yet powerful way to pay your respect and honour their significance.

The Wedding Gurus

xxx

A Perfect Wedding, By The Wedding Guru’s

We’ve put together for you a little poem (non-rhyming) that covers all of the things that we believe are the most important for couples to remember in planning for and on your big day. We often see couples who are upset that their cars came late or the bride’s makeup was not exactly perfect and these little things go on to ruin one of the most important days of their lives. After putting in so much time, effort and hard work, we don’t want you to miss one single, tiny beautiful moment and so here are a few helpful hints we wanted to share with you!

A Perfect Wedding, By The Wedding Guru’s

A perfect wedding must be planned. Not perfect with ‘things’, but perfect with feelings, memories and sentiment. Where the important things are foremost and the little things forgotten.

Take time in the planning, really speak to each other and create amazing ideas based on mutual love, contribution and respect.

Remember the relationship above all. Spend quality time with each other without discussing the wedding,.

Give your vows much consideration and use them to really tell your marriage partner how much they mean to you. Look them in the eyes when you speak the words.

Don’t get caught up with the little things, whatever will be, will be.

On the day: Stop often and take in your surroundings. See your loved ones, the scenery, your partners hand in yours. It will be over in a heartbeat.

Let your heart remind your why you are there. Not the pretty dress or the lavish party. To stand side by side and pledge your love for eternity.

Find quiet moments in the chaos to just be with the other. Kiss, embrace and thank them for their love.

Don’t get so caught up in the excitement that you forget to just be there for each other.

When you dance, hold each other tight and look into each others eyes as if there is no-one else in the room.

Take the time to speak to each of your guests and thank them for their love and support.

MOST OF ALL…..

Laugh a lot, smile until your face hurts, feel more love than your heart can bear and breathe in every glorious second of it.

A perfect wedding day doesn’t just happen, you must create it with your thoughts, actions and words.

These are the laughs, the tears, memories and feelings that you will recall often with deep gratitude and love throughout your life.

The Wedding Guru’s

xxx

Wedding Theme Inspiration

Choosing your wedding setting and decor can be very overwhelming given the endless variety of ideas available to you. In our opinion the first step is to choose a theme, one that suits your personality and style.

 Things to consider when choosing a theme include:

-    Colour - ( ie black and white or purple and silver). Our favourites are soft tones such as ivory, champagne or white with a bold splash of colour such as purple, pink or black to be the most appropriate choice if you are planning for a chic romantic setting. Try to stick to one or two colours to be as effective as possible as more colours mixed in can begin to look a little out of place.

-    Style – Again base this on your personalities. Are you characters of elegance?,  or are you a couple who enjoy the beach, or perhaps lovers of the renaissance or the vintage and antique. Your chosen style can also be arranged around the season of your wedding, if it is an autumn wedding you might like to find an outdoor location amongst the orange of the trees or if in summer, a beautiful beach wedding might be the way to go.

-    Budget – Your theme may be restricted by your budget. Be realistic from early on in the planning stages, remember you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to have a beautiful wedding setting and there are plenty of amazing DIY options available to you. There would be no point in planning a setting filled with arches and vases of lush fresh flowers, crystal candelabras, chandeliers and tea light candles suspended from the ceiling if your budget doesn’t allow. There would be nothing worse than the feeling of having to change your setting plans at the last minute because you have run out of money to pay the florist or hire company.  

Once your theme has been chosen this will guide you in selecting your invitations, wedding and bridesmaid dresses, beautiful centrepieces, bonbonnieres and even food and beverage choices.

To get you started in this thought process we have compiled our top 10 wedding setting pictures as posted by brides and grooms from all over, which we believe radiate romantic elegance and beauty.

 We hope this inspires you towards creating the wedding of your dreams. If you would like to run any ideas past us or if you have a beautiful wedding setting you would like to share please send it in to theweddinggurus@live.com.au for your chance to have your question, idea or picture featured on our page.

The Wedding Guru's

xxxx

Please note: These settings have been compiled from numerous sources including Facebook posts and other web pages. These photographs are not the property of The Wedding Guru's. If you would like any information on the owner of a particular photograph we would be happy to assist.